Dishwashing machine



May 10, 1932. w. L. LINDGREN DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed ma 31. 1950 5 Sheets-Shet 1 y w. LINDGREN 1,857,729 DISHWASHING MACHINE I Filed May 31, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 2 l I a; I

48 .7 as I M y 1932- w. L. LINDGREN 1,857,729.

DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed May 31. 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 y 1932- w. LINDGREN DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed May 31, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 C III .llllllll Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES rArENroI-FmE WALDEMAB I. LINDGBEN, OI WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OI ONE-HALF TO JOHN E. EBICSSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS I msnwasnmo mcnnm Application filed May 31,

My invention is concerned with dish-washing machines of the'type shown in my Patents Nos. 1,798,425 and 1,7 98,428, granted March 31, 1931, and my application 417,056, filed December 28, 1929, and consists of certain improvements on the structures shown'in the aforesaid patents and application, designed to make the machine more efiective in its operation-and to remove certain objections I- have found in practice adhere in the aforesaid structures.

The complete machine and its operation will be described in detail, and the novel combinations and features particularly pointed out in the claims.

To illustrate my invention, I have annexed hereto five sheets of drawings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of

which,-

'Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine,

in section on the-line 2-2 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, with the sink shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a view in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but on a slightly larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a plan view in section on the line I H of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the sprocket Wheels employed in making up the drum at the discharging end of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of th'e strips used in maklng up said drum Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the soapywater spray members, with a portion thereof in section to show a joint in the pipe;

Fig. 7 a is a side view of the joint shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the conveyor cover; a

Fig. 9 is an end view of a portion of the same, partly in section and on an-enlarged' scale, showing the construction of the flexible curtain used at the ends thereof;

of Fig. 9; 1

. Fig. 11 is an enlarged view in section on the line 1111 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the pivoted clip shown in Fig. 11; and f Fig. 10 is a view in section on the line 10-10 1930. Serial N0. 458,345.

' Fig. 13 is a detail in section through the clutch connecting the conveyor driving mechanisin with the gearing. from the motor. 3

My dish-washing machine is of the typeadapted to be mounted in the customary sink 20. The conveyor, which, is best shown in I Figs. 1, 2 to 6, and 13, is mounted in a frame made up of two longitudinal side ieces 21 and 22, which arespaced apart and eld' rigidly together by the stationary end ieces 23 and 24. These end pieces prefera 1y have the downwardly-extendin webs 25 at their ends, which connect the orizontal portion with the vertical portions 26. The side piece 22 is preferably imperforate, except for the bearings for the hereinafter-mentioned, shafts, but the rear side piece 21 is provided with a pair of apertures 27 and 28 to receive the lower spray members to be subsequently described. The three shafts 29, 30 and 31 are journaled in bearings formed in the side pieces, and the shafts 30 and 31 rot-a-tein operation, although the shaft 29 might be stationary with the sprocket wheels 32 on the ends thereof rotating on the shaft, instead of with the shaft. The shaft 31 has secured at its-ends, just inside the side pieces, ape-1r ofsprocket wheels 33, one ofwhich is seen detached in perspective in Fig. 5, and thev shaft 30 has secured on it, immediately adj acent the side piece 22, the driving sprocketwheel 34.

The conveyor belt is preferably constructed 3 of a pluralityof horizontal and parallel rods 35, best seen in Figs. '3 and 4, which are con nected to form a skeleton belt by the links 36,

which are stamped out of sheet-metal and are of the design shown in Fig. 3, where it will.

be seen that each has a longitudinal slot with rounded ends extending substantially the length ofthe link and of a width to receive the reduced portion of its cooperating rod 35 forming the annular channel 37. The slot. 'has at some point therein, preferably the middle, the enlarged portion 38, which' ermits the link being slipped over the end 0 the rod atthis point and moved to the desired channel 37 with which it is to cooperate.

With this construction, it will be readily observed that I have' produced a simple and inexpensive skeleton-carrier, which permits the water to be thrown upward through the upper run and onto the dishes and kitchen utensils carried by the skeleton belt.

As I have found that there is a tendency for the knives, forks and spoons toget into the openings in the belt, and assume a. vertical' position therei'n, instead of lying on it horizontally, I-place between the side pieces 21 and 22, and immediately adjacent the under side of the upper run of the belt and of the wheels-32, the sheet-metal cross piece 40, which prevents the knives, forks, spoons, etc., from assuming a vertical position, and insures their being started on their way extending horizontally on the conveyor. As there may be some displacement of these articles from the action of the jets of Water on them, I provide, adjacent the under side of the upper run of the belt and the sprocket wheels 33, the sheet-metal cross piece 41, which is secured at its ends to the side pieces and is curved, as shown, so that if any end of aknife, fork or spoon should extend through the belt and project downward, it will be cammed back up into place as it arrives over this inclinedcross piece 41. i

I have previously found much difliculty in preventing the knives, forks and spoons from becoming entangled with the belt as it curved around the wheels 33 to the discharge end, and to prevent this possibility, I fill the space between the Wheels 33 and thus forma drum with the series of bars or ribs 42, one of which is shown detached in perspective in Fig. 6, and which have the inwardly turned ends 43 adapted to be secured to the inner faces of the wheels 33 by screws passed throughthe openings therein and threaded into the wheels 33, the bars being conveniently positioned and spaced apart by the lugs 44 formed on the inner faces of the wheels 33 for this purpose. The bars are preferably strengthened by longitudinal ribs 42 formed on their under side,

'' and the outer faces of the ribs 42 are provided with grooves 42 to receive the links 36. In passing around the drum thus formed, the rods 35 fit in between the bars 42, ,and the drum-like construction prevents anypossibility of the knives, forks and spoons becoming entangled with the belt at this point, and where they are to be taken off of the machine immediately by an attendant, I have the sheet-metal plate 45, seen in Fig. 1, hinged to the edge of the end piece 24, turned down to the full-line position shown in Fig. 1. If for any reason it is desiredthat the cutlery be taken careof automatically as it leaves the machine, I turn this projecting plate 45 into the position shown in dotted lines in F ig. 1, in which position the knives, forks and spoons can be carried around the Clf Uln and strike the inturned upper end 46 of the sheet-metal trough 47, which is fastened to the cross piece 26 of the end plate 24.

The side pieces 21 and 22 have projecting "inwardly from their upper edge a rib 48 The side piece 22 has.

j ournaled thereon, directly beneath the shaft 30, a roller 49 (see Fig. 1) which engages the links at that end and prevents any possible sagging that would carry the rods meshing with the recesses in the sprocket wheel 34 out of engagement therewith.

To prevent the water which strikes the dishes being washed and the washing machine itself from spattering out over the sink, I provide the generally-rectangular cover which consists of the sheet-metal portion 50, which is of an inverted trough shape, and is carriedby the correspondinglysshaped wires or rods 51 which are removably secured'in place by the means to be subsequently described. As the varying-sized dishes must be free to pass under and emerge from the cover, and as it is desirable to prevent the water sputtering out from the ends, I provide the flexible curtains 53, depending downwardly at each end and extending clear down to the conveyor. These curtains are made up of fine metal chains, each link 54 of which consists of a small piece of sheet-metal having an aperture in one end, with the other end formed with the curved hook fitting into the recess of the adjacent end of the adjacent 'link, as will be readily apparent from Fig. 10. The chains are suspended by hooks 54 chains-are staggered so that they overlap, as

it were, thus forming a solid curtain, so far as the passage of-water .is concerned, without interferring with the flexibility. I also preferably stagger the ends of the links in the two sets of chains, as clearly shown in Fig. 10. I have also found that, for con. venience of manipulation of the. device in various locations and sizes of sinks, .it is better to make the front endof the cover narrower than the rear end, as seen in Fig. 8, it only being necessary to make the front end wide enough so as to take care of the two spraying members to be subsequently 'de scribed.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the hot and cold water pipes 55 and 56 extend from the wall 57 through the side of the sink 20 and are connected by the-special valves, preferablyhas the horizontally-0perating valves 61 and 62 to open and close the hot and cold water supplies. In order to enable me to conveniently operate these valves around the end of the dish-washing machine,-

I preferably make the valve stems rectan lar and mount on them the telescoping va ve 8 handles 63 and 64, which can be extended, as

seen in Fig. 1, in order to make their opera tion easier without having to reach so far around the end of the dish-washing machine. As fully and completely shown in the 10 aforesaid application No. 417,056, the mixer 60 has suitable connections to the valve 68 formed in the inner end of the customary spout 69, which can be turned horizontally to any desired angle, and which, when the washing machine is in use, will be turned parallel to the rearwall of the sink, in which position the water from themixer 60 is free to pass to the tubular connections 71 and 72, which have their lower ends suitably con- 0 nected with the vertical pipes 78 and 79,

suitably supported and having on their upper and lower ends suitable swivel connections for the pipes 94, 95, 96 and 97, so that when said pipes are turned parallel to the rear wall of the sink, the water will be cut off, and when they are turned at right angles thereto and extend out over or under the conveyor, as the case may be, the water will be turned on. The pipes 94 and 95 have soap boxes 99 of the type shown in my aforesaid Patent No. 1,798,428 associated therewith and interposed between the ends of the pipes and the spray pipes 100 and 101, which spray pipes are provided with the customary perforations directed downwardly and up wardly, respectively, so that the soapy water will be thrown downward and upward, respectively, on to the dishes carried between them by the conveyor.

40 spray pipes 96 and 100, which are provided at their lower sides with the horizontal flanges seen in cross section in Fig. 1, I secure on top of the casing 01'' cover 50 the pair of inverted metal troughs 102, which have therein the slots 103 in the upper sides thereof, to receive the tubular portions of the spray pipes 96 and 100,'as seen in Fig. 1.

This construction serves to position the spray pipes relative to the cover 50, and in order that the cover may bedrawn off of the conveyor by a horizontal movement only while the pipes are still extending horizon- 4 tally, I providethe means for holding thecover in place best shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3',

and 11 and 12, where it will be seen that the lower corners of the cover 50 are embraced by the Lfishaped portion 51 of the clip 51", which has the stem-like portion 51 pivoted in the vertical recess. 50 'in the block 50 projecting upward'from the tops of the side iec-es 21 and 22, there being, of course, one of these blocks 50 and clips 51" for each of the four lower' corners of the cover. .The clip 51 is preferably formed of a sheet-metal stamping, as clearly shown in Fig. 12, and

To accommodate the it will be obvious that when it is desired to has the lug 51 on one side thereof, by which the clip'can be readily swung from the horizontal position shown in full lines in the various figures to a vertical position in which the cover will be released and be free to be moved horizontally, as before described.

S uitably supported, asfully described in the aforesaid application No. 417,056, from the faucet connections, is the motor 112,which has suitable worm-gear connections with the driving shaft, seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the lower end "of which is provided with suitable 'worm-gear connections with the short shaft 30*, connected by the clutch'shown in Fig. 13 with the horizontal driving shaft 30 previously described. As the carrier may sometimesv be jammed, I provide the slip clutch connections shown in said Fig. 13,

where the clutch member 30 is pinned on .the end of the shaft 30, while the clutch member 30 cooperating therewith is secured on the sleeve '30, pinned on the shaft 30, the member 30 being secured on sleeve 30 by means of the nut 30 and the lock nut 30 threaded on the end of the sleeve 30 and cooperating through the washer 30 with the end of the clutch member 30,1which has at its operating end the annular recess 30 adapted to receive the fibre ring 30 formed on the end of the sleeve 30. ;With the construction shown, it will be obvious that the clutch member 30 can be secured on the sleeve 30 with as much'friction as may be desired, sufiicient to drive the conveyor under an ordinary load, but arranged to give and permit the stopping of the conveyor while the 'motor continues to run in case of an emergency.

With the construction shown and described,

remove the dish-washer, all that is necessary is first to turn'back the clips 51", after which the cover can be slid horizontally forward to disengage it from thepipes 96 and 100, and after the cover is removed, the conveyor can then be moved forwardly and tilted upwardly sufficiently to permit its being pulled away from the spray'pipes 101 and 97, projecting into the conveyor through the openings 27 and 28. Thespray members can then be with the rear wall of the sink, and if the spray member 100 tends to strike anything swung horizontally into a position parallel present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understobd that it is capable of modification, and that I do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: 1. In a dish-washing machine, the combination with a frame, of an endless skeleton conveyor member therein, means for operat- 'ing said conveyor member, spraying means cooperating with the conveyor member, a

cover for the upper run of the conveyor member, and flexible hanging curtains formmg the recelving and entering ends of said cover,

- each of said curtains consisting of two lines of suspended metallic chains, the chains of each line slightly spaced apart and staggered with relation to the chainsof the other line so that the two lines make a complete covermg. i v p 2. In a dish-washingmachine, the combination with a frame, of an endless skeleton conveyor member therein, means for operating said conveyor member, spraying means cooperating with the conveyor member, a cover for the upper run of the conveyor member, and flexible hanging curtains forming the receiving and entering ends of said over, each of said curtains consisting of tw lines of suspended metallic chains, the chains of the two lines having the positions of the links staggered so that the joints of the two lines are in different horizontal planes.

3. In a dish-washing machine, the combination with a frame, of an endless skeleton' conveyor member therein, means for operatmg sa1d conveyor member, spraying means cooperating with the conveyor member, a

cover for the upper run of the conveyor memher, and flexible hanging curtains forming,

the receiving and entering ends of said cover, each of said curtains consisting of two lines of suspended metallic chains, the chains of each line slightly spaced apart and staggered with relation to the chains of the other line so that the two lines make a complete covera ing, and the chains of the two lines further having the positions of the links staggered so that the joints of the twolines are in different horizontal planes.

4. In a dish-washing machine, the combination with a sink, of a skeleton conveying apparatus therein comprising a framework and a conveyor carried thereby, means for rdriving the conveyor, water-spraying members connected with the sinkfaucet and extending above and transversely of the framework of saidconveying apparatus, and a cover for said spraying members carried by the framework of the conveying apparatus, saidcover having its front side narrower than the rear side.

5. In a dish-washing machine, the combination with a sink, of a removable skeleton tus, a cover having slots in its top for said spraying members carried by the frame-' work of the conveying apparatus immediatelv beneathsaid spraymg member, and means for detachably securing said cover-to the framework so that it can be removed therefrom by a horizontal movement away from the faucet without the necessity of raising it.

6. In a dish-washing machine, the combination with a sink, of a skeleton conveying apparatus therein comprising a framework and a conveyor carried thereby, means for driving the conveyor, water-spraying members connected with the sink faucet and extending above and transversely of the framework of said-conveying apparatus, a cover for said spraying members, said cover being transversely slotted in its top to co-operate with the spraying members and having overhanging fianges at the edges of the slots, said edges preventing substantial upward movement of said cover, and means for detachably securing said cover to the framework of the conveying apparatus so' that it can be removed by a horizontal movement without the necessity of raising it.

'7. In a dish-washing machine, the combinationwith a sink, of a skeleton conveying apparatus therein comprising a framework and a conveyor carried thereby, means for.

inverted U-shape in transverse cross section, for said spraying members, said. cover being transversely slotted in its top to co-operate with the spraying members and havingoverhanging flanges at the edges of the slots, said 'edgespreventing upward movement of said cover, and means for detachably securing said cover to the framework of the convey;

ing apparatus so that it can be removed by a horizontal movement without the necessity of raising it, said means consisting of clips having U-shaped'ends and pivoted horizon-' tally on the framework of the conveyor and adapted to co-operate with the lower corners of the cover to hold it in place when the clips are turned down and to release it when they are turned up.

8. In a dish-washing machine, the combination with a sink, of a skeleton conveying apparatus therein comprising a framework and a conveyor carried thereby, means for driving the conveyor, water-spraying members connected with the sink faucet and extending above and transversely of the framework of said conveying apparatus, a cover, lnverted U-shape 1ntransverse cross sectlon,

-for said-spraying members, said cover being transversely slotted in its top to co-operate with the spraying members and having overhanging flanges at the edges of the slots, said edges preventing upward movement of said cover, and means for detachably securing 7 said cover to the framework of the conveying apparatus so that it can be removed by a horizontal movement without the necessity of raising it, said means consisting of clips having U-shaped ends and pivoted horizontally on the framework of the conveyor and adapted to co-operate with the lower corners of the cover to hold it in place when the clips are turned down and to release it when they 

